This year's China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (中国国际航空航天博览会), or simply Airshow China, showcased the J-20. We report on these and the other Chinese gems.
No less than four J-20A were showcased, this 78232 belongs to the 172nd Brigade at Cangzhou-Cangxian.
Another pair of J-20s, displaying their internal storage bays and clean configurations.
The J-10 has IAI Lavi lineage and is being inducted at a high pace. This J-10B 61168 belongs to 5th Air Brigade, Nanning Base. Although flyers exist for the J-10CE export version, it is still uncertain if China really is pushing sales for it.
Another highlight was the display of Ba Yi, 1st August Aerial Demo Team equipped with a mix of J-10A single seat...
...and J-10S dual seat aircraft painted in a gloss blue colour scheme.
Let us move on to some heavier stuff, like this H-6K, a modern variant of the old Tu-16, that is still in production. It is operated by 24th Air Regiment at Leiyang.
Indigenously developed, this KJ-500 AEW aircraft is a heavily modified Y-9. Wuxi is its home base where 76th Air Regiment resides. It is one of the airfields that is also used for civilian traffic. So, if you book a flight there you may just roll along their sheds...
The Y-9 itself was also present, 10th Air Regiment uses these from Chengdu-Qionglai, it being a development of the Y-8 that was basically a license built An-12.
For heavy hauling the Y-20A is set to augment and replace the Il-76 fleet, although deliveries are just beginning to 12th Air Regiment at Chengdu-Qionglai.
From very big to nimble and agile, the Z-10 helicopter is being inducted into army service with 15th Brigade and peddled for export, so far without much success.
Zhuhai is obviously being visited by various dignitaries using staff transport. In China they have a complete fleet of such aircraft looking quite civilian, like this CRJ-702ER. They use Beijing's VIP airfield Xijiao were 100th Air Transport Regiment is based.
These VIP's might find the JH-7 somewhat ungainly, but we simply love this brute.
Strike units are spread around the vast country and JH-7A 73179 belongs to the 126th Brigade at Liuzhou-Bailian, another of the ever decreasing airfields that is co-used by civil airlines.
We cannot think of a more fitting way to end this overview than with the JL-8. This Sino-Pak design has been exported around the world as K-8. It was showcased by the Red Falcon Air Demonstration Team.
As you can see, they can be quite precise. We say goodbye for now to our Chinese friends, and hope to go back there soon!